Broken Backs, Strong Hearts
by Bixata
Summary: Jack and Teal'c are stranded on a planet during a Jaffa ambush. Together, they help each other survive their injuries and find a way home. Jack has a brush with death, but it's Carter and Daniel to the rescue. JackTeal'c friendship. Teamfic.
1. Chapter 1

"Daniel! What's taking so long? Dial it up!" Colonel O'Neill shouted at his teammate before training his P-90 on another Jaffa and letting off a single shot. His opponent crashed to the ground and was out of the action even as O'Neill swept his weapon to the left and took up aim at another of the enemy.

Daniel Jackson was ducked down behind the DHD now as O'Neill, Major Carter, and Teal'c provided cover fire. Carter was beside him, peering over the DHD as she swept her P-90 fire in a wide sweep along the tree line where most of the Jaffa seemed to be concentrated. Both O'Neill and Teal'c were currently using a large stone monument, shaped more like a regular boulder than anything according to O'Neill, and while Teal'c fired over the top, O'Neill crouched low to the ground, firing around it.

"It won't lock!" Daniel shouted back over the radio. "I dialed Earth but the seventh chevron won't engage."

O'Neill had to focus on his next couple shots as a pair of Jaffa tried to sweep around and take them from behind. Once the threat was eliminated he ducked behind the boulder, braced his back against it, and toggled the radio near his left shoulder. "Is it broken?"

"I don't know. It wouldn't engage. Sam says the problem may not even be on our end."

O'Neill analyzed the situation even as he turned to fire off a few more rounds, ducking back once the clip ran out. He quickly and efficiently replaced it before contacting Daniel again. "Dial the Alpha Site. SG-8 was due back about now, Earth's 'Gate must be busy. Carter, Teal'c, on my mark, lay down cover fire. Three, two, one."

In the next instant Teal'c and O'Neill both stood up from behind their shield to draw the attention their way, firing off a continuous stream of bullets and staff blasts at the enemy. Carter positioned herself between Daniel and the Jaffa, covering him so he could punch in the coordinates for the Alpha Site.

The screams cut through the air as a death glider flew by overhead, sending a rain of fire down near O'Neill and Teal'c's position. The shockwave of the blast knocked them to the ground, O'Neill thrown out from behind his cover and open to the ground assault, but Teal'c was hurled forward into the stone, his head striking solidly against the rock.

"Colonel! Teal'c!" Carter screamed as the wormhole engaged and the event horizon stabilized within the Stargate.

Recovering from the shock of impact, O'Neill scurried back to the relative safety of the boulder just as a staff blast struck the ground where his head had just been moments ago. Teal'c shook his bleeding head groggily, focusing his gaze on O'Neill to make sure he was alright before turning towards Carter and Daniel to check their status. He looked up, prompting O'Neill to do likewise, as the death glider returned for another pass.

"Go! Carter, Daniel, get out of here!" O'Neill ordered. "We're right behind you!" He grabbed Teal'c by the arm to help him to his feet and they stood simultaneously to lay down cover fire for their teammates to escape. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Carter hesitate in front of the wormhole, waiting for them, firing off a few more rounds. "Carter, go!" He shouted as he saw the trajectory of the death glider headed straight for the Stargate. She disappeared into the wormhole just seconds before a strafing fire swept along the ground in front of the DHD and then…

"Oh, crap."

The wormhole disengaged as the smoke and dust cleared, revealing the burnt out remains of the now useless DHD.

"O'Neill." Teal'c's voice cut through the cacophony of staff blasts, death gliders, and frying DHD.

"I see it. We're not getting home that way, Buddy."

"They will send reinforcements."

"By the time they get to Earth for authorization it will be too late." He took out another Jaffa creeping around on their position.

"I will not surrender."

"Of course not. We can hold them off as long as possible, but we're seriously outnumbered and we've lost our easy way out. We may have to run for it, hide and wait and hope Hammond authorizes a rescue mission. But with the DHD out of commission…" He didn't have to finish the thought. Without a working DHD, the risk of getting caught in a firefight and not being able to dial out quickly was too high.

"A tactical retreat." Teal'c suggested, understanding there was no other choice.

O'Neill glanced at the wound on Teal'c's forehead, the blood flowing freely down the side of his face. Any other man, and he'd ask about it, but this was Teal'c. Teal'c would be fine. "It's our best chance."

He noticed that the number of staff blasts shot at them had diminished significantly, there may not be all that many Jaffa left to fight here. However, without the DHD to dial out and no other available power source for a manual dial, they couldn't escape through the 'Gate. They'd have to hold their position indefinitely until reinforcements arrived, from either side.

He peered around the rock to try to get a count on the enemy and pulled back just in time as a blast struck the side of the rock, sending shards and fragments flying. He felt the sting as they struck the sleeve of his jacket but knew it would only result in minor bruises, if anything. "I count eleven." He informed Teal'c as he pulled out a grenade from his belt. "There's a group at twelve o'clock, when this baby goes off we hightail it out of here. Got it?"

Teal'c merely nodded and adjusted his grip on the staff weapon.

O'Neill used his teeth to pull out the pin of the grenade, bracing himself on his haunches to jump up in a hurry and run. He counted it off, then released the grenade in a high arc, directly toward the center of the Jaffa attack.

A moment later the explosion was followed by anguished screams, and O'Neill and Teal'c both leapt to their feet, taking advantage of the temporary confusion and moving backwards steadily, heading for the cover of trees.

As they stepped into the brush at the edge of the forest Teal'c suddenly let out a startled grunt and crashed to the ground. O'Neill didn't have to take a look at his fallen teammate to know that he'd been hit from behind by a well-placed staff blast. He swung around, P-90 already tracking down the pair of Jaffa that had circled around and come up from behind. A hail of bullets and that threat was eliminated.

He dropped to a crouch beside Teal'c, kneeling over him protectively, as he dropped the expended P-90, letting it fall against his chest. He grabbed Teal'c's zat as well as his own, firing determinedly with precision of both hands at the approaching Jaffa as they moved in on his position over his fallen teammate.

It all came down to a half dozen Jaffa. With fierce resolve he dropped the zat in his right hand and removed the last grenade from his belt, again removing the pin with his teeth and spitting it out as he continued firing the zat in his left hand. They were close, too close, but there was no other option. He let it fly, watched it arc straight on target, saw it hit the ground, then he threw himself over Teal'c's body to help protect him from the blast.

He could feel Teal'c's chest rise and fall beneath him, but aside from that, there was nothing else. The sounds of the battle were gone, and it took him a moment to realize that the shockwave must have affected his hearing so he was, hopefully only temporarily, deaf. He rolled off of Teal'c quickly, a shower of dust and debris falling off him, and brought the zat up, already searching for survivors. He spun around, looking for any movement at all, no longer able to rely on his hearing for advance warning.

It seemed clear.

He knelt beside Teal'c again, and checked his pulse and breathing, glad to feel the signs of life in his warrior friend. He reached around to check for the injury that had caused him to fall in the first place and his hand came back with blood after touching Teal'c's back. He stepped over him, still looking around for any threats, and studied the damage. A direct staff blast hit to the middle of the back. Very close to the spine.

He was sure he cursed, but no sound reached his ears. An injury like this to a human would undoubtedly cause permanent damage, possibly paralysis. Even with Junior he wasn't sure how Teal'c would cope. He knew he shouldn't move him, he would probably just cause more damage, but it was likely the Jaffa would send someone by to check on the outcome of the battle. They couldn't stay here, so close to the 'Gate.

Teal'c seemed to be unconscious, which was probably for the best considering the severity of the injury. All of SG-1 had ditched their gear once the battle started, so he didn't have much with which to treat Teal'c's wounds. He took another glance around, hoping that all of the other wounded Jaffa would also remain unconscious but he knew they wouldn't stay down forever.

He splashed some water over the wound to get the dirt out that had showered over them both from the explosion and did what he could to stop the bleeding. He checked the pulse again, just to be sure, and was relieved to find it steady and strong. He pulled off his vest and removed his jacket, placing it over Teal'c's back and tucking it into place so it would stay on and provide padding against anything that might touch it. Afterwards, he put his vest back on.

He did another survey of the battlefield, automatically checking his P-90 to make sure it was ready for use again. He checked his sidearm then gathered up both zats. He straightened up and took several deep, steadying breaths, still running on the adrenaline high, knowing that he was going to need it in order to get through the next part of his plan: carrying Teal'c to safety.

Teal'c was a very large man built of solid muscle. O'Neill was tall, lean, and muscular, but he hadn't succeeded nearly 30 years in the service because of his physical strength. Besides that, he had two bad knees and was pushing 50, he had the gray hair to prove it. So the idea of lifting and carrying an unconscious man of Teal'c's weight and stature would have seemed impossible and…well, stupid if he didn't have the adrenaline high pumping through his veins. Dragging him along the ground wasn't an option, yet, since the Jaffa would be able to follow their trail too easily. If he carried him, the enemy would have to have a tracker with them, which might slow them down a little.

He was sure he grunted, he knew he gasped in pain, and he might well have yelled his bloody head off, but he didn't hear anything. His legs and back burned with the effort of standing upright with the heavy burden slung across his shoulders, and he could only hope that he hadn't done more damage to the injury by moving his body.

He swaggered, he stumbled, he nearly fell to his knees as he crashed through the underbrush deeper into the forest. Teal'c's back was exposed to the branches above, but hopefully the second jacket provided sufficient protection. His knees ached and he was sure his spine might snap in two but he pushed on, further away from the battle site, away from the Stargate, looking for someplace safe to wait for Hammond to contact them.

Which would be pointless if he didn't get his hearing back or Teal'c didn't wake up soon. He couldn't hear the radio, he wouldn't be able to communicate with Hammond on any serious level. He wouldn't even know if Hammond had tried to contact them.

This was looking very bad. Very bad indeed.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Daniel stumbled through the Stargate on the Alpha Site and raised his hands at the expected sight of armed US airmen. "We're coming in hot! Jaffa ambush."

He heard someone shouting out orders to be on the ready, and then anger directed at him. "Did Colonel O'Neill authorize this? He knows we haven't got an iris, this is supposed to be a secret base. As in the Jaffa don't know about it."

"The 'Gate on Earth must have been busy, we couldn't get a lock. This was our only option under the circumstances. The Jaffa couldn't have seen the coordinates from their…"

He rapid delivery was cut off as Sam tumbled out of the wormhole and rolled out of the way, scrambling out of the direct line of the Stargate. "Take cover!" she shouted just as a ball of fire tore out of the 'Gate and slammed into the ground, sending flames and debris outward.

A moment later the wormhole destabilized and shut down.

Sam was on her hands and knees, staring at it, her jaw dropped in shock. Daniel rushed to her side, dropping to his knees beside her and checking her for injuries. "Sam! What happened?"

She shook her head, seeming to snap out of her shock. "There was a death glider, headed straight for the 'Gate. Colonel O'Neill ordered to me go through but he and Teal'c…They're outnumbered, they'll have to redial the 'Gate." She turned to the commander in charge of the outpost. "We have to go back for them, sir."

"You know I can't authorize that, Major. We could be walking into an ambush, and without a MALP handy we won't know what's on the other side. You'll have to take it up with General Hammond."

"That will take too long. If we activate the 'Gate now, the Colonel won't be able to connect with here or Earth. They may not have time for another redial like we did if it's just the two of them."

"I'm sorry, Major. I want to help Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c, but I can't authorize a rescue mission under these circumstances. We'll wait ten minutes. If they're not here by then you can go back to Earth and take it up with Hammond."

Daniel removed his glasses and wiped the sweat off his face with a grimy sleeve. He put the glasses back on and looked back at the Stargate. "What happened to the 'Gate, Sam?"

She looked up at him, blinking back the sunlight. "What?"

"The way it shut down. Almost like an overload, right? The 'Gate was hit. Could there have been permanent damage to their Stargate?"

"It's possible. I doubt there was enough force for it to have been buried, but there may have been some damage to the DHD. It was right in the line of fire."

He tried to still the rapid beating of his heart. "So they might not even be able to dial the 'Gate? Without a DHD, they wouldn't have time for a manual dial, even if they had the power. They may be trapped there."

"We don't know that, Daniel. I didn't see the DHD take a hit. But I don't think they could have held out for much longer. And we both know…"

"They wouldn't surrender. Not without us there."

"Yeah," she agreed, sadly. "They're going to make it, Daniel." She said with more confidence than she felt. "They'll make it. They have to," she added, her voice barely a whisper.

They waited for ten minutes, their eyes never leaving the Stargate. After another two minutes Daniel grabbed Sam's arm and helped her to her feet. Without another word between them they walked to the DHD and input the coordinates for Earth.

"I hope they're okay, Major." The base commander said softly as the 'Gate engaged. "Good luck."

Sam and Daniel hurried through after he sent his IDC, ready to shut the 'Gate down as quickly as possible.

Now that they could actually try to do something to help their teammates they felt their energy pick back up. Their cells had barely reintegrated within the Gate Room of the SGC when Sam was already shouting up at the Control Room where General Hammond was awaiting their return, explaining their detour to the Alpha Site and the need to send a rescue team for the Colonel and Teal'c.

General Hammond absorbed everything Major Carter was saying, and turned to Sergeant Harriman beside him. "Get a MALP ready and have SGs-3 and -6 prepare for a rescue mission."

"Yes, sir."

Hammond was already on his way down the stairs to the Gate Room before the order was acknowledged. Now that he was up close to Major Carter and Doctor Jackson he could see the fear in their eyes. "What's the situation on the planet, Major?"

"There were still at least a dozen, maybe fifteen Jaffa at the 'Gate before I went through, sir. A death glider was headed straight for the 'Gate, I jumped through, and just seconds after I emerged the 'Gate shut down. It might have taken a hit, sir, but the Colonel and Teal'c were nowhere near it when it happened. We think it's possible the DHD may have been hit, and if the damage was significant enough to shut the wormhole down, then they may not be able to dial out of there. They could be trapped, sir. It's possible they could have retreated into the forest, and if that's the case, then they're probably just waiting for us to send a rescue team."

"The Jaffa might have sent reinforcements to the 'Gate once they realized they were under attack."

Daniel muttered darkly under his breath, "They attacked us."

Sam glanced at him, realizing that he was just worried about Jack and Teal'c. "Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c wouldn't give up without a fight, sir. They may be able to hold the 'Gate, but if we wait too long, enemy reinforcements will arrive and we'll have lost our chance. If they've already been taken prisoner, we have to go after them."

"I agree. But we'll have to send a MALP through first to analyze the situation before I can authorize any mission. Get yourselves checked out in the infirmary, you've got twenty minutes."

"Yes, sir." She and Daniel practically ran down the corridors to get to the infirmary so they could be back in time for the MALP results.

-----

"General Hammond, the MALP is ready for deployment."

"Thank you, Sergeant. Dial it up."

Daniel and Carter stood just behind General Hammond, watching the Stargate spin as each chevron locked until the wormhole engaged. They waited anxiously as the MALP rolled slowly up the ramp and disappeared through the wormhole, then they directed their attention to the video display from the camera.

"Lord in Heaven." General Hammond murmured under his breath at the carnage on screen.

"The DHD." Daniel said quietly as he discerned the smoldering rubble of the Ancient device.

"There's no way to repair that." Sam informed them. "We'll have to take along a generator and do a manual dial."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. Sergeant, pan around. Try to see if there's any activity around the 'Gate."

"You mean see if you can find Jack and Teal'c's bodies." Daniel said angrily, too upset with what he was seeing in front of him. His arms were wrapped around his waist in a self-hug. "It looks like Jack used a couple grenades." He pointed to a crater at the edge of the screen.

"Looks like." Hammond agreed. "Where was the last place you saw them, Major?"

"There's a stone monument a little more to the right, about 50 feet from the 'Gate. I don't see any activity, but that's quite a body count, sir. They did some serious damage. They didn't go out without a fight, sir, whether they've been taken prisoner or…" she let her voice trail off as they drew their own conclusions.

Daniel leaned in closer to the monitor. "I don't see them. Maybe they got away. Can we try to contact them?"

Hammond leaned forward and flipped the switch to broadcast over the radio channel. "SG-1 niner, this is Stargate Command, please respond." He paused a moment, waiting for a response and when none came forth he tried again. "SG-1 niner, this is the SGC, please respond." Again, there was nothing.

"They could be out of range." Daniel offered helplessly.

"Not unless they've been taken prisoner." Hammond told him assuredly. "Don't worry, we won't give up on them, yet."

"Uh, sir." Sergeant Harriman caught their attention nervously, panning the camera to the left at signs of activity.

"They've sent reinforcements." Carter explained the obvious. "Probably to secure the 'Gate in case we sent a rescue team for the Colonel and Teal'c. Sir, they're probably still alive, or we would have seen them already."

"I can't authorize a rescue mission, Major Carter, not…"

He was cut off as one of the Jaffa approaching the MALP raised his staff weapon and fired. The video feed was instantly replaced by static.

"Especially going in blind," he added softly.

"Sir, we can't just leave them behind."

"I don't intend to, Major. But we have to take a look at other options. Beginning with what you learned on the planet before the attack. We'll contact the Tok'ra and see if they've got an inside source that can tell us what happened."

-----

O'Neill's head was pounding with every step. He felt nauseas and dizzy, his lungs bursting as he fought for each breath, starved for oxygen. His muscles strained and his joints grinded painfully, his knees and back buckling under the weight. He kept going steadily onward.

He couldn't think clearly anymore. His head felt fuzzy, all he could do was focus on each step. He couldn't be bothered with the fact that he was defenseless, that his friend could very well be dying draped over his shoulders, that he couldn't hear anything, that they were stranded on a world with no DHD and no Carter to solve the dilemma, that the planet was occupied by a Goa'uld and the Jaffa were none too friendly, and that he had no way of communicating with the SGC to tell them the situation.

Survival instincts kicked in when the pain and lack of oxygen drove away all rational thought.

Save Teal'c. Save self. Get home. Fraiser's needles. Save Teal'c.

No more than half a mile from the 'Gate O'Neill's knee gave out and he crashed to the ground. The brunt of Teal'c's weight landed across his shoulders, driving the air out of his lungs and his face into the dirt.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

_Previously…_

_No more than half a mile from the 'Gate O'Neill's knee gave out and he crashed to the ground. The brunt of Teal'c's weight landed across his shoulders, driving the air out of his lungs and his face into the dirt. _

O'Neill was too tired to move. He was too exhausted to try. He lay there, panting, trying to get enough air into his lungs as he was crushed beneath the weight of his unconscious friend.

"Teal'c!" he gasped, nearly crying at the pain he felt all over his body. "Teal'c, Buddy, you gotta wake up." He dug his fingers into the soil beneath him. "Oh, God, get up. Wake up, Teal'c." He dropped his head, rubbing his face in the dirt as he tried to squirm out from under his friend. He didn't know if he was shouting, he didn't care if he was. He wanted out, he needed to breathe.

He felt something move. Something shifted across his back then suddenly the pressure on his back eased and he was free. He didn't pause to glance up at what had happened, he just pulled himself forward with his forearms and out from under the oppressive weight. He paused a moment to take a deep breath and let out a broken sob that had been trapped in his chest, then he turned his head and saw that Teal'c had collapsed back to the ground, his eyes open and staring at him.

"Teal'c!" he called out excitedly, and instantly forgot about his own condition, turning around and crawling back to his teammate's side. "You okay?"

He saw Teal'c move his lips slowly but all he could hear was a dull ringing so he shook his head and pointed at his right ear. "I can't hear anything, Teal'c. I don't know what you're saying." He focused on Teal'c's lips more closely. "Can you move?"

He saw the big guy lift up on his arms and look back at his legs. O'Neill placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him from moving too much. "You were hit in the back, right along the spine. It may take Junior a while to take care of it. You banged your head pretty good, too."

Teal'c looked frustrated for a brief second, then allowed himself to relax to the ground, still maintaining an eye on O'Neill. He examined his team leader up and down, looking for injuries.

O'Neill waved him off. "I wasn't hit. My knee gave out on me while I was carrying you. You're no lightweight, you know." He dropped back onto his butt and rolled his pant leg up to examine his knee. "Fraiser's gonna be pissed," he muttered to himself when he saw the amount of swelling in the joint. He rolled the pants back down and scanned the perimeter before turning back to Teal'c. "We're about a half a mile from the 'Gate. We managed to take out all the Jaffa, but I wasn't sticking around for reinforcements. I need you to monitor the radio for communications from the SGC until I get my hearing back. Do you need to do that kel'no'reem thing to fix your back?"

Teal'c shook his head slightly and glanced around, his eyes focusing on the zat at O'Neill's hip. O'Neill reached over and pulled Teal'c's zat, placing it in Teal'c's hand so he was ready to defend them if any Jaffa arrived.

"This isn't exactly a secure position, but I can't carry you much farther. I'm going to scout around, see if I find anything nearby we can use for shelter until you're feeling better. We'll be out of contact for a while."

Teal'c nodded, accepting the plan, and reached with a steady hand, placing it over O'Neill's forearm.

O'Neill returned the nod, accepting the silent bond of friendship between them, then limped away, leaving Teal'c alone, armed with nothing but a zat.

-----

Teal'c rolled onto his side as he waited for O'Neill to return. He was concerned by his teammate's loss of hearing, and he worried that the SGC might have tried to contact them while he was unconscious. He was also greatly disturbed by the injury to his back. It was a foolish mistake, letting his guard down like that. But he couldn't dwell on that now, he had to focus on his own healing so he wouldn't let O'Neill down again. He could tell the other man had put himself under a great deal of strain carrying him to safety. The thrill of battle would fade soon, and O'Neill would undoubtedly succumb to exhaustion before long, but Teal'c knew that his companion was strong and would not give up easily.

It was nearly thirty minutes later before O'Neill came stumbling back and crashed at Teal'c's side, breathing heavily, a finger to his lips warning Teal'c to be quiet. He nodded briefly, indicating he understood the message, then closed his eyes to focus on the sounds around him, listening for any possible threats. Hearing nothing nearby, he opened his eyes to watch O'Neill whose gaze was directed at the area behind Teal'c. After a moment O'Neill glanced at Teal'c and shrugged. They didn't have to share words to understand one another, Teal'c had become quite adept at reading Tau'ri body language. Or at least O'Neill's body language. He had many peculiar mannerisms.

O'Neill removed his jacket from Teal'c's back and checked on the wound. He gave a thumbs-up to Teal'c, wrapping the jacket around him once again. Using hand signals, O'Neill indicated he had found a more defensible position for them to take cover while they recovered from the battle.

Teal'c could feel the wound on his back already healing as he rolled onto his hands and knees. O'Neill crouched down at his side, ducking under Teal'c's left arm and wrapping his right arm around Teal'c's waist. They planted their right feet solidly on the ground and at O'Neill's nod, rose to a standing position. Teal'c nearly collapsed before he managed to dampen the worst of the pain, and O'Neill's back gave a little before coming up strong and providing the necessary support to hold Teal'c upright and move him forward. They worked together, neither complaining, sharing their strength between them. Their steps were heavy and awkward as they stumbled forward for nearly a quarter mile until they reached a circle of stone monuments, similar to the one they had ducked behind near the Stargate.

O'Neill guided Teal'c to the ground slowly and dropped beside him on his hands and knees, a look of sheer anguish on his face as he gasped for breath, his face red and perspiring. Teal'c rolled onto his side and placed his hand on the other man's shoulder. O'Neill seemed unable to move, so Teal'c tugged at him gently until he rolled onto his side, then his back, straightening out with little spasms of pain. They lay mere inches apart, close enough for Teal'c to dig through the pockets of O'Neill's vest and locate the muscle relaxants he carried on a regular basis.

He tore into the package using his teeth and removed two pills. He didn't bother to try to get O'Neill to sit up, he just reached over and dropped both pills in O'Neill's open and awaiting mouth. O'Neill made a face as he chewed on the pills before swallowing but Teal'c was already pulling out his water canteen and after uncapping it, placed it against O'Neill's lips, allowing a few drops to fall into the other man's mouth.

They lay there motionless, their breathing steady now, their eyes open, Teal'c's ears attuned to the sounds around them. With a great show of effort O'Neill lifted his left arm and cradled the P-90 strapped to his chest. Likewise, Teal'c retrieved his zat, holding it ready against his left hip.

And they waited.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Hours later, as the sun was setting behind the distant mountains, it began to rain. The clouds had rolled in silently, unexpectedly, coming over the mountains. As night approached, the temperature dropped rapidly, while the clouds dropped a gentle mist to the ground like a thick blanket of fog.

The two men hadn't moved in the last four hours, both exhausted and recovering from the battle and their escape, but the gentle shower prompted them to consider seeking shelter from the elements as well as the enemy Jaffa. There had been no signs of a Jaffa search party, and since they had left no survivors at the 'Gate it was possible the Jaffa didn't even know there were any enemy survivors still on the planet. Less than a mile from the 'Gate, the two members of SG-1 shouldn't have been that difficult to locate. However, the fact that they had been seemingly ignored didn't mean they could let their guard down.

As the sun finally disappeared behind the distant mountains Teal'c pulled the extra jacket from his back, which O'Neill had given him to protect his wound, and handed it to his teammate. With just his left hand, since he was lying on his right side, he helped O'Neill to sit up to put it on.

O'Neill grunted softly, his body aching and complaining from overuse, but he slowly pulled off his vest, put the jacket on, and replaced the vest, his motions short and erratic. He fell back, gasping, his breath catching in his chest and throat. "Under the trees," he instructed with a shaky voice, his weakened condition making him more susceptible to the damp chill from the mist.

Teal'c rolled onto his stomach, deciding not to bother with trying to stand up just to move the fifteen feet or so to be under the protective cover of the tree branches. He pulled himself forward about a foot, glancing back at O'Neill who was still lying on his back, breathing deeply. A wracking cough was followed by an agonized spasm of pain, and Teal'c began to suspect that O'Neill had suffered internal injuries from when they had fallen. A cracked rib or two was highly probable.

He glanced up into the sky, noticing the rain was beginning to fall harder now, and they would need to stay as dry as possible if they were both going to survive. He turned his body slightly, reached back and got a firm grip on the back of O'Neill's vest, and with a mighty heave, he dragged O'Neill along his back until they were side by side.

Obviously, O'Neill was startled by the unexpected ride, but he was too tired to complain about the rough treatment. He allowed Teal'c to drag him along, pushing with his legs to help, as they worked their way together to the shelter of the trees. They stopped once they reached the trunk of the nearest tree, feeling the dry ground beneath them. O'Neill helped roll Teal'c onto his left side this time, so that his exposed back was facing O'Neill. Then he pushed himself back to the base of the tree and lifted himself up, bracing his back against the sturdy trunk so he was sitting up. He cradled the P-90 with his right hand and reached out to tap Teal'c on the shoulder.

Teal'c lifted his head slightly to acknowledge O'Neill. "Let Junior work," O'Neill whispered, his voice raised slightly to compensate for the fact that he couldn't hear himself. "I'll take first watch."

Teal'c nodded then shifted closer until his back was less than an inch from O'Neill's thigh. He closed his eyes, focusing on the warmth at his back and the rhythmic but strained breathing of the man behind him as he cleared his mind of everything else and put his mind and body into a state of kel'no'reem, achieving harmony with his symbiote to effect repairs to his injured back.

O'Neill remained diligently awake, his eyes darting across the darkened landscape for any signs of movement. He wrapped his arms around himself tightly, warding off the night chill. There wasn't a single place on his body that wasn't aching, swollen, throbbing, or worse. His chest hurt, and he should have probably done something about the cracked ribs he knew he had, but their options were very limited and there hadn't been a lot of time for first aid. His right knee was swollen but the pain was dull and he knew the damage wasn't permanent. His head hadn't stopped throbbing since the second explosion knocked out his hearing, which seemed to be slowly coming back if the constant ringing in his ears was anything to go by. And his back…well, he just didn't want to go there. In short, he felt miserable and was trying very hard not to compare his condition with any of the old clichés about semi trucks and avalanches.

There was no moon around this planet, so the only light source was the distant stars, not enough to truly see anything on the ground around him. In the unnerving quiet of his mind, he thought about their options. The DHD was busted, they had no hope of getting it to work, or even rigging an alternate power source to dial-in manually. Their best chance was for Hammond to send in the troops but the likelihood of that diminished with each passing hour. He began to wonder if the 'Gate itself had been damaged as well. If so, that severely limited their options of getting home.

Basic survival training: what did he know?

The Jaffa had death gliders, and from the tattoos on their foreheads he knew they had served Cronos. Cronos had been killed a few months ago, so it was anybody's guess who they were serving now. It was possible they didn't even know their 'God' was dead, which meant they were isolated from galactic affairs. He wasn't willing to put money on it, though. With all the recent deaths among the System Lords at the hands of SG-1 there was a real power struggle among the survivors to be Top Dog and gain the liberated resources from the dead Goa'uld. They wouldn't want to pass on the word that the Gods could be killed. Defeated, yes, but killed, no.

His head hurt.

He decided to focus on escape plans. Ships. If there were death gliders it was possible there might be a cargo ship. An alkesh would be able to travel the distance to the nearest planet with a Stargate and they could just 'Gate home from there. They'd also have a fancy new piece of Goa'uld technology capable of space travel to present to the Area 51 guys that just might get those other guys in Washington controlling the purse strings to cough up more money and support for the program.

His head hurt, again.

He looked up at the stars, so different from the ones seen from Earth, yet comforting just the same. He loved nights like this. Quiet, though perhaps a little too quiet aside from the irritating buzzing that was slowly driving him insane. Chilly but not freezing, reminding him of his youth in Minnesota. Everything else, aside from the nearby presence of a man he thought of as a brother, just plain sucked. Big time.

At least Carter and Daniel were okay.

They would make sure Hammond didn't forget about them, not that Hammond would ever do that. He may not authorize a rescue mission, but he wouldn't forget about them. Price of command. At least he wouldn't have to be writing any letters of condolences to family members. SG-1 was the only family he had, and Rya'c and Bratac would hear about it from Daniel or Carter.

Shut up, Jack.

He knew the SGC would never give up on finding them, dead or alive, and O'Neill knew for sure that he and Teal'c were not going to die. They'd made it so far, they would get out of this. They just needed time to recover, to get their strength back, to mend their broken backs.

And then they'd find a way home.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Daniel felt useless. In fact, he felt worse than useless, he felt counterproductive, like he was making a bad situation worse. He had contacted the Tok'ra, but they didn't know anything about the planet or why Jaffa loyal to Cronos were still there despite the untimely demise of their God. He had already scoured every inch of every second of the video playback from the MALP, but he had found no signs of Jack and Teal'c. He had dogged Hammond for hours, begging him to send a rescue team, even if it just consisted of himself and Sam, all to no avail. And now…

Now he was beating the stuffing out of a punching bag. He'd watched Jack and Teal'c do this countless times, even Sam occasionally needed to vent a bit of frustration, but he had never imagined it would actually help.

And it didn't, really.

Trying for a different angle, as he continued his assault on the helpless bag, he began to imagine he was back on the planet, his blood pumping, his anger fueling his adrenaline, all serving to recreate the scene. He was dialing the Alpha Site with Sam alongside him, Jack and Teal'c were behind the monument, fifty feet to his left, the death glider came swinging by and…Teal'c was bleeding, he'd hit his head on the rock. Jack was thrown to the ground but he was still moving, he was okay. Then Jack ordered him to go through the Stargate.

He should have waited. He shouldn't be here, safe at home, while Jack and Teal'c were stuck on a Goa'uld planet fighting for their lives, probably injured, with no back-up and no way of getting home. And apparently, no way of asking for help, with the MALP out of commission.

He gasped as a thought struck him, elegant in its simplicity, making him wonder why he hadn't thought of it sooner.

Because Jack wasn't here to offer the simple, overlooked suggestion, he thought ironically as he dashed from the rec room, disregarding his own sweaty condition and avoiding people he met in the hall who tried valiantly to jump out of his way. He ducked into the elevator, fairly bouncing off the walls in his eagerness and impatience to get down to the Control Room and try out his idea. Everything was too slow, he was wasting precious seconds here in this slug of an elevator, why wasn't anything working in his favor?

Finally the doors opened and he leapt out…and into the startled arms of General Hammond.

"Dr. Jackson!" The General exclaimed as he extricated himself from the overanxious doctor. "Calm down." He ordered sternly.

Ignoring the chastisement Daniel hugged himself as he quickly explained his idea, rocking up on his toes in his haste to implement his plan. "We don't need the MALP, General. They should be close enough to the 'Gate waiting for our rescue team that we won't need the MALP to relay the signal. When we tried to contact them earlier they may have been too busy to respond, we need to try again."

"I'm sorry, Dr. Jackson, Major Carter came to the same conclusion."

Daniel felt his hope sink to the floor. "You already tried it?"

"Without success. There may have been some kind of interference on the planet that's disrupting our radio signal, but without the MALP, we can't be sure."

"Interference?" His heart deflated so fast he nearly collapsed right there in the hall in front of the General. "We didn't have any problems with the radio before," he added hopelessly.

Hammond reached out and placed his hand on Daniel's shoulder, ignoring the copious amount of sweat soaking his shirt, offering what comfort and support he could. "We won't give up on them, Dr. Jackson. We'll try again later. The Tok'ra are looking for an available ship to fly by the planet, but it will take some time. Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c are capable soldiers, they can take care of themselves. Get some rest, son. There's nothing we can do for them right now."

Daniel dropped his head between his shoulders, hugging himself tighter. "Yes, sir," he replied, because he did appreciate Hammond's effort and he respected the General's commitment to SG-1 and all the other personnel at the SGC.

"Just make sure you take a shower first, Doctor. I'll make that an order if I have to."

Daniel's head shot up in alarm. Did General Hammond seriously just tease him? He gave a small smile in return, wondering just how much of Jack had rubbed off on the General. "Sorry, sir. I'll go do that right now, General. And…Thanks." He shoved his hands in his pockets as he turned away, heading for the team locker room, disappointed that there was nothing he could do to help his friends at the moment.

"We'll get them back, Dr. Jackson." Hammond called out to him.

Daniel stopped. "Yes, we will. But at this point, I think it's more likely that they'll get back to us."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Hammond agreed as he stepped into the elevator, preoccupied with his own concerns for the two missing members of SG-1.

-----

O'Neill didn't remember falling asleep, but he suddenly found himself awakening to the blinding sunlight and an abused and complaining body. "Gah!" he moaned quietly as he realized his own limbs were refusing to respond to his commands.

He startled when a large hand landed on his shoulder and he opened his eyes, blinking back the brightness of the sun, and finally focused on Teal'c's face. He nodded, indicating he was fine, and glanced around at his surroundings. He shivered involuntarily as he remembered the damp and chilly night. Teal'c had done his meditation thing for five hours before they switched places. Currently, Teal'c was sitting up with his back against the tree while O'Neill lay sprawled out on his back.

O'Neill waved a hand at Teal'c's back, and Teal'c slowly gave him a thumbs-up sign, then flattened his hand out straight, palm to the ground, indicating he was doing much better but wasn't at full strength yet. O'Neill could clearly see that the head injury was healed externally, and though he didn't expect Teal'c to just admit if it was still bothering him, he trusted the other man to warn him if it would be a problem.

He was feeling a little better himself. A glance at his watch informed him that he'd been asleep for nearly seven hours, and he frowned at Teal'c but knew it was probably for the best that he had rested so long. His back still ached, the rough night on the hard ground probably hadn't helped matters any, but his head felt clear and his ribs weren't bothering him much.

He was hungry, though. He tried to sit up and realized that the reason his ribs hadn't been bothering him was because he hadn't been moving. Finally, with a soft grunt, he was sitting upright, his legs stretched out in front of him. He looked pointedly at Teal'c and rubbed his belly.

Teal'c glanced down at his symbiote pouch thoughtfully, but eventually understood the meaning of the gesture. He glanced around the clearing, looking for something edible, but there wasn't much available nearby. He was also hungry, but he could survive without food for longer than O'Neill could. However, he wasn't planning to prove it, by any means.

His thoughts of food were interrupted by the sound of a twig snapping, of clanking metal, and angry voices. He glanced up sharply in the direction of the noise, and he could feel O'Neill become instantly alert, understanding the situation through Teal'c's body language. As one, they rose to their feet and, ducking low, dashed up to the safety of the rocks, crouching down behind the nearest one and positioning it between them and the approaching Jaffa.

Teal'c could hear the Jaffa coming straight for them and he readied his zat, noting that O'Neill also chose to utilize the Goa'uld weapon rather than the louder weapons of the Tau'ri. With the impending threat of the Jaffa approaching, their injuries were forgotten and they focused on the task at hand.

A sudden burst of static in his ear took Teal'c by surprise but he remained motionless, trying to gather intel on the approaching Jaffa without being seen.

When the static was replaced by Major Carter's voice he turned to O'Neill, adjusting his ear piece as he mouthed the words 'Major Carter.' O'Neill's eyes widened fractionally as he pointed out in the direction of the Jaffa, the question clear in his expression. How close are the Jaffa?

"I repeat, this is the SGC, please respond." Major Carter's voice spoke directly into his ear as he listened with the other for the Jaffa.

The Jaffa were more or less on top of them, now. There was no way he could communicate with the SGC without giving away their position.

"SG-1 niner, we know the DHD has been destroyed but we can't offer any assistance until we know your situation. Please, respond."

The Jaffa would undoubtedly realize that all of SG-1 hadn't escaped if the SGC kept trying to contact them. The timing could not have been worse for them to try to initiate communication. He couldn't even risk clicking the radio, the Jaffa were so close both he and O'Neill were barely even breathing to keep as quiet as possible.

"If you can hear me, please respond."

He was tempted to respond regardless of the risk, but suddenly the clanking of armor stopped and the small band of Jaffa, he estimated six, were standing less than fifteen feet away. He glanced at O'Neill who was watching him carefully for signs of what was going on, and he could see that O'Neill understood exactly what their situation was, and the present danger they faced.

"SG-1 niner, this is the SGC. Please respond."

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Silence is not golden, O'Neill thought as he focused all of his attention on Teal'c. A thousand other clichés about bad timing and bad luck and bad everything could have been passing through his mind if he wasn't concentrating on reading the nuances of Teal'c's face and body language.

Carter had contacted them over the radio, but he didn't know if she was on the planet or calling from the safety of Cheyenne Mountain back on Earth. From the look on Teal'c's face, he guessed he shouldn't expect any back-up anytime soon, and seeing as these Jaffa seemed to have camped out close by, he didn't think Teal'c would be able to let the SGC know that they were both still here.

Well, that just sucked.

First things first, focus on the task at hand, namely, avoiding getting into a firefight with the local Jaffa. He didn't have a count on how many there were, and he couldn't risk moving his hand to ask Teal'c. He was literally sitting there deaf and blind.

Minutes passed, painfully slow, as they sat there on their knees, ready for action but remaining as still and quiet as possible. O'Neill's knee began to ache from the pressure but he forced himself to ignore it. He could only hope that Teal'c's back was holding up. He could see a thin sheen of sweat appearing on his Jaffa friend's brow, seeming to make the gold emblem of the serpent glisten brighter. Or was that just sweat in his own eyes?

Teal'c spared him a brief glance, but O'Neill wasn't sure what he saw there. It may have been the radio contact breaking off, it may have been the Jaffa on the move again, or it may have just been his teammate assessing his condition.

Then suddenly Teal'c stood up, his hands raised in a gesture of surrender.

Boy, had he read that wrong.

After a moment of adrenaline-filled shock, O'Neill shook his head, suppressing a disappointed laugh, and stood up as well, ignoring the zat and staff weapon aimed at his chest. He handed over his zat, glaring defiantly into the eyes of the smug Jaffa, and unclipped the P-90 from his chest. He could see them shouting at him, and he guessed they wanted his sidearm as well, and he sighed dramatically as he passed it over.

Too late to make contact with the SGC. This was going to be a very bad day.

He stumbled forward as a staff weapon prodded him in the back, and he moved up to Teal'c's side as they were escorted down the path, headed further away from the Stargate. He glanced at Teal'c who was standing tall and proud, imperturbable as always, with just a tiny hint of resignation.

Looks like they needed a Plan B. Or maybe it was Plan F by now.

Keeping a watchful eye for any means of escape, they struggled to maintain the pace set by the Jaffa, supporting each other when one was knocked down by an impatient captor.

-----

"General, you have to send us in there." Daniel demanded.

Daniel and Carter were standing in General Hammond's office, though Daniel was precariously close to leaning over the desk and grabbing Hammond by the lapels to get him to agree with him. Not that he would ever, actually, do that. No. He would never do that.

"We know the risks, sir." Major Carter added, just as determined as Daniel, though much more courteous to her commanding officer. "It's a good bet that if they haven't responded by now that they've been captured. From what we saw on the planet before we were attacked, the Jaffa aren't prepared for an assault."

"I beg to differ with you, Major. We all saw the video feed from the MALP."

She flinched, but didn't back down. "What I meant, was they didn't have a base near the Stargate, or we would have noticed their presence a lot sooner. We only saw one death glider, they may not have any other ships. If we can take out the Jaffa that are guarding the 'Gate then we can hide out in the forest while we figure out what happened to the Colonel and Teal'c. We haven't threatened them, yet, so they'll let their guard down and suspect that we've given up on retrieving survivors."

"You're making an awful lot of assumptions, Major."

"Yes, sir, I am. But it makes sense. We've been in worse situations before, General."

General Hammond sighed, tapping his fist on the arm of his chair as he thought it through. Major Carter's argument was flawed in so many ways, and both she and Dr. Jackson were letting their emotions get the better of them. But that was just the way SG-1 operated. Colonel O'Neill would have already found a way to get back on that planet if his teammates had been left behind, even if he had to break protocol to do it.

"You find a better way to get back to the planet, and I'll consider it, Major."

Dr. Jackson grabbed the back of the chair in front of him, leaning forward slightly. "General, we just need to worry about the Jaffa near the 'Gate, right?"

Hammond could see the intelligence in those eyes, and wondered just how much strategy the younger man had picked up in his time here. "I wouldn't say that, Dr. Jackson, but that is our primary concern."

Dr. Jackson nodded his head impatiently, closing his eyes briefly before focusing them on Hammond again. "We use a Goa'uld shock grenade. We toss it through, let it knock them out, then we can send a MALP through and see what's waiting on the other side."

Carter added, "We may not even have to engage them in a fight, sir. There's minimal risk, if we move fast. We can take along a couple SG teams to secure the 'Gate and set up a naquadah generator while we look for Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c."

Now, this was starting to look like a plan. "Get SGs 2, 3 and 7 geared up and ready in two hours, Major, and have them prepare the MALP. But I won't authorize the mission until we see what's on the other side, is that clear?"

She couldn't hide the hopeful smile as she turned to the door, practically fighting with Dr. Jackson to get out of there quickly to get to work. "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

Hammond stared blankly at the open doorway, taking a deep breath as he tried to prepare himself for the possibility that he couldn't authorize the rescue mission. Not for the first time, he thought about retiring. But as long as he had people like Daniel Jackson and Major Carter fighting so hard to save their teammates, he wouldn't regret his decision to stay in command of this prestigious base. No matter how much hair and sleep it cost him.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

O'Neill sighed loudly as he tossed a pebble at the door of their small prison cell. It had been over an hour since he and Teal'c had been thrown in the eight by eight cell with a dirt floor and numerous, tiny rocks that made it that much less comfortable. He shifted his foot slightly to ease the discomfort in his knee, and glanced over at Teal'c, who was performing kel'no'reem. His friend looked about as bad as he'd ever seen him, filthy with dirt and dried blood, his expression troubled even in deep meditation.

He knew Teal'c felt responsible for their capture, but there was really no other option. They were outnumbered, again, but at that close range, they would never have gotten out of there alive. Hopefully, Hammond would figure out a way to get to the planet and rescue their hides before the Jaffa decided to bake them.

Okay, so he was bored. There was nothing to do in this cell but throw these darn little pebbles, and he was going crazy from the ringing in his ears.

Before they were tossed into the tiny room they had been taken to a large tent, where one of the Jaffa had tried to interrogate them. Or at least, that's what he assumed the intent was. He had explained, in a very calm manner he thought, that he couldn't hear a damn thing so it was no use asking him any questions. Teal'c did that special glare of his, and that was when they found themselves in this small cell.

With nothing to do. He shifted forward and sprawled out on his back, tucking his jacket underneath his head for a pillow. He tapped his fingers against his chest, flipped the cover on his watch, smoothed out his t-shirt, flipped the cover again, adjusted his baseball cap, scrounged around in the dirt for another pebble, tossed it at the door. He remembered a scene from the classic WWII movie The Great Escape, with Steve McQueen as a POW sitting in a Nazi prison cell only slightly smaller than this one. He was the brash, American 'Cooler King,' making all kinds of trouble in his numerous escape attempts and getting thrown in the slammer for his insolence. At least he had a baseball to throw at the wall to pass the time.

O'Neill hated being a prisoner. It always reminded him of his time spent in an Iraqi prison, and those were memories he'd just as soon forget. He had continually been surprised by the relatively livable accommodations and treatment they received from the Goa'uld and the Jaffa, though he knew his other two Tau'ri teammates might not agree with his judgment in such matters. He was grateful they had never had to experience some of the harsher torture he had survived in Iraq, though a Goa'uld pain stick could pack quite a punch. They'd all been hurt badly at one point or another, but rarely was it when they were held in captivity, aside from that whole Ne'tu incident and that Blood of Sokar crap. Boy, had that mission brought back memories.

But here in this cell, he could almost relax. Almost. He wasn't crazy enough to let his guard down completely, but he didn't really fear that a Jaffa would come in and beat him within an inch of his life.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when a large hand gripped his shoulder. He bolted upright, his adrenaline spiking, and he shot a glare at Teal'c as he realized the source of the unexpected touch. Teal'c was raising that right eyebrow of his in a not-so-innocent manner that only he could get away with. O'Neill raised an inquiring eyebrow of his own.

Something was going on outside, he could almost feel the tension in the air. Teal'c stood up with only a little more effort than usual before offering his hand to help O'Neill. They moved closer to the door and Teal'c pressed his ear against it, listening intently. After a moment he turned to O'Neill and mouthed, 'shouting.'

O'Neill nodded in understanding, though neither man could guess why the Jaffa were shouting. A moment later Teal'c straightened up and smiled the barest of smiles.

"The cavalry?" O'Neill asked with a grin.

Teal'c nodded. "At the Stargate." He spoke aloud, though it was unnecessary.

O'Neill frowned. "The Jaffa here know already? They'll be walking into a trap."

Teal'c nodded somberly in agreement, but they both had faith that Carter, Daniel and whoever they brought along would be ready for it.

"Anything we can do to help?" O'Neill asked, not really expecting an answer. He briefly considered digging a tunnel like the men in the Great Escape, and quickly dismissed it as ludicrous. He shook his head, as though doing so would get rid of these crazy ideas that kept popping into his brain.

In answer to O'Neill's question, Teal'c began pounding on the door, testing it for weaknesses. O'Neill checked the nearby walls for panels or recesses, but this was one of the more primitive prisons they'd been in and wasn't wired with crystals or electronics or whatever else Carter could have manipulated to get the door to open.

He moved to the back wall, pushing his weight against it, and suddenly it gave, his momentum sending him flying through the open recess as the sides and top caved in around him.

He fought back a cry of pain as a large, jagged piece of the wall landed on his back and cut through the t-shirt. He coughed as he tried to suck in the air that had been knocked out of him, but there was so much dust and debris inhaled that he choked and coughed even more. After a moment, he felt strong hands on his shoulder, and noticed grass beneath his hands and chest. He looked up and saw that he was outside, and glancing further up he stared into the amused brown eyes of his teammate.

"No way." He whispered and glanced around quickly but didn't see any Jaffa on their way to kill them or recapture them. "For cryin' out loud," he moaned, gesturing for Teal'c to help him up, and peering behind him at the thin wall of their prison. He grinned over at Teal'c. "They just don't make 'em like they used to," he quipped.

Teal'c grabbed his arm lightly, made sure O'Neill was focused on him. Although he too was amused and somewhat relieved by the relative ease of their escape from the prison, they were not safe yet and would have to move quickly. O'Neill understood the urgency in Teal'c's expression and nodded, gesturing for Teal'c to lead the way. Teal'c handed him his jacket, checking the small cut on O'Neill's back as he did so, but the wound was small and there was nothing he could do for the inevitable bruise that would arise.

They jogged away from the Jaffa encampment, disappearing into the trees, planning ways to make contact with their rescue team.

-----

Daniel's plan went off without a hitch. The shock grenade was sent through, followed by the MALP which revealed that all of the Jaffa around the Stargate were unconscious. SG-3 went through first, followed by Daniel and Carter and then SG-2 and SG-7. All three SG teams moved efficiently to secure the perimeter and the unconscious Jaffa, while Carter and Daniel began a cursory search, looking for clues to Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c's whereabouts.

"There's no sign of them, Daniel." Carter stated in a subdued tone.

"Jack and Teal'c wouldn't leave a trail for the Jaffa to follow."

"It'll make it that much harder for us to find them."

"Too bad Teal'c isn't here to help with that." Daniel said, only half-joking.

Carter glanced around thoughtfully. "If we try the radios and they've been captured we might just be alerting the Jaffa to our presence. We may have already given them the Colonel and Teal'c."

Daniel cringed. He hadn't thought of that. He'd been so focused on trying to find out if his other two teammates were alive that he hadn't considered the danger he was putting them in. That's what Hammond was for, wasn't it? "Okay, so maybe we didn't really think this through," he admitted quietly.

She gave him a look that he could only qualify as 'Ya think?' "We'll find them Daniel."

A member of SG-7 jogged over to them. "Major Carter? We found one of the Jaffa with this." He handed her a small round metal ball.

"It's a Goa'uld communication device." She frowned at it. "There's no way to tell if they got a message out. We may have company headed our way."

The three SG teams began to fortify their position, prepared to hold the 'Gate as long as possible. A member of SG-2 was setting up a naquadah generator to power the 'Gate. Carter went over to help him, establishing a brief wormhole to Earth to make sure that there were no surprises later. She informed General Hammond of their situation then as the 'Gate shut down returned to Daniel's side.

He was over where O'Neill and Teal'c had been during the firefight when SG-1 had become separated, kneeling down on the ground studying it intently. He looked back at her grimly. "Blood. Looks like somebody fell here, I'm guessing it was Teal'c."

She nodded in agreement, leaning over and picking up a nearby staff weapon that had been discarded. There was no way for her to know that it was Teal'c's but, somehow, she got the feeling that it was. "Do you see any tracks?"

"Tons of them. I'm no tracker, of course, but these look like SGC standard issue boot prints," he pointed at one set of tracks that was distinctly different from most of the other prints.

She knelt to take a closer look. "They're pretty deep. It must be Teal'c."

Daniel looked around. "Then where's Jack? I don't think even Teal'c is this heavy, Sam. He's probably carrying Jack. That will account for the extra weight."

"That would mean that Colonel O'Neill has been injured. We've already wasted enough time getting here, he probably needs medical attention. We should try to follow these prints, they ought to lead us to the Colonel and Teal'c."

"Or straight into the Jaffa stronghold," he muttered under his breath.

"Have you got a better idea?" She asked, sincerely hoping that he did.

He shook his head. "I guess we ought to let the others know the plan."

As Carter ran over to discuss tactics with the other team leaders Daniel began to cautiously follow the tracks, making sure he was still in visual range of the other SG teams. He stared down at the prints, but something about them wasn't right. He tried to figure out what it was, gauging the stride and foot length as best he could, visualizing Teal'c carrying Jack over his shoulder. It didn't fit.

Carter came up alongside him, touching him gently on the elbow. "What is it, Daniel?"

He swallowed hard before replying, "I don't think this is Teal'c, Sam."

She looked down at the print. "What do you mean?"

"I think it's Jack."

-----

O'Neill and Teal'c crouched down at the edge of the forest, hiding behind the sturdy, thick tree trunks and layers of brush as they looked over the Jaffa encampment. They could see several death gliders, most of which seemed to be undergoing repairs, and a single Alkesh. All of the ships were now completely unguarded as the Jaffa gathered in the center of the camp, arming themselves with staff weapons and zats.

From their hiding space, they counted over fifty Jaffa warriors, armed and ready for battle. A chill ran through them both at the thought of the SGC personnel, prepared for a rescue mission rather than…this. They shared a knowing glance, their concerns unmistakable, as well as their determination to prevent the forthcoming slaughter.

Simultaneously, they glanced at the unguarded Alkesh.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

As the Jaffa marched off to do battle with the SGC rescue team, O'Neill gestured silently towards the abandoned Alkesh, and he and Teal'c disappeared into the forest to sweep around and come up from behind, staying hidden in case any of the Jaffa returned.

They stopped off at the equivalent of a Jaffa armory and Teal'c motioned for O'Neill to remain concealed as a look-out while he dashed across the open ground to retrieve two zats and a staff weapon. Ducking low and keeping a careful watch on their surroundings, O'Neill joined him, accepting the zat which Teal'c tossed back to him and instantly holding it at the ready.

Armed and feeling infinitely more secure, they jogged over to the Alkesh, slowing down as they neared it and creeping up along the side to the open rear hatch. With his staff weapon in his left hand and the zat in his right Teal'c inched forward, listening for anyone aboard the vessel while O'Neill swept his wary gaze across the field, searching for any movement.

Teal'c glanced back at O'Neill and waited for his confirming nod to enter the ship. He braced his back against the outer hull of the ship and slowly peered around the edge, seeing that the room was vacant, and slipped inside followed closely by O'Neill. While Teal'c checked out the remaining rooms for Jaffa O'Neill hit the controls to close the hatch. They met up in the control room where Teal'c slid into the pilot seat and ran a diagnostic check on the ship, while O'Neill took the chair beside him and familiarized himself with the layout, immediately checking on the status of their weapons.

Teal'c was disappointed with what he could determine about the ship's condition, but he was confident that it would serve their purposes. The hyperdrive was down, so they would be unable to fly it to another planet with a working Stargate, but if reinforcements had indeed arrived from Earth they would have brought a power supply for the 'Gate. Some of the crystals controlling the engines were damaged but there was sufficient power to get them to the Stargate and engage in, brief, battle. The shields, however…

He tapped O'Neill on the shoulder, and pointed at the monitor, indicating the shields were only at thirty percent. It took a moment for O'Neill to understand what he was reading before he frowned and waved a hand at the weapons console. "Not much going for us here," he said out loud, his voice lacking emotion of any kind. "Doesn't look like she'll take much of a beating, but if we can get to the 'Gate and our reinforcements before the Jaffa we may be able to avoid a fight. Will she fly?"

Teal'c nodded, but O'Neill could see the trace of concern on his solemn features.

"Just do your best, Teal'c. We don't need it to win any battles, we just need it to get us to the 'Gate as fast as possible." He ran his hands over the console, glanced over to watch Teal'c as he powered up the ship. He could feel the thrum of the engines as they kicked in, and it wasn't long before Teal'c maneuvered the controls and the ship slowly lifted from its perch on the ground. He leaned in closer, figuring out how to pull up a visual schematic of the land, and helped Teal'c plot their course back to the Stargate.

The trees whipped by underneath them as Teal'c kept them close to the ground. The sensors weren't working so they were relying on their eyesight through the front port to locate the Jaffa or the reinforcements from Earth.

Less than a minute into their flight O'Neill felt a tremendous shudder through the deck of the ship, and he looked over at Teal'c who looked about as frazzled as he could get, which was not a reassuring sight by any means. Suddenly the ship lurched, nearly knocking O'Neill out of his seat, and Teal'c wrestled with the controls until the flight evened out, but then the ship bucked again and a sense of foreboding fell across him as the trees loomed dangerously closer.

He braced himself against the console and kept his eyes locked on Teal'c in case he shouted a warning, focusing only on his expression for a clue about what he needed to do. A bright light caught his peripheral vision and as he turned away to look out the front he thought this day couldn't get any worse.

There, off in the distance just barely in range of his sight about four miles away he could see the clearing where the Stargate was settled. The course he and Teal'c had chosen wasn't a direct line, as they had expected the Jaffa to travel that way, but they must have split into separate groups to cover as much ground and prevent anyone from getting through the line. The immediate problem was that at least five Jaffa were firing their staff weapons at the Alkesh, and with the diminished shields, the ship wouldn't last for long.

"Get us as close to the 'Gate as you can." He shouted as he returned fire, sending the few Jaffa scattering into the cover of the trees. "And pray this bucket holds together when we hit the ground," he added, sensing something like a cough in the engines as the ship bucked and swayed alarmingly. His hands clenched the armrests of his chair as the ship took another hit from a staff blast, weaker this time as they put more distance between the weary Alkesh and the Jaffa.

Teal'c wrestled to control the ship, somehow managing to keep them on a straight course for the 'Gate but a flashing light signaled the failure of their shields. It was immediately followed by a sensation that seemed to crawl up O'Neill's spine, and he suspected that it was due to the hull of the ship scraping along the tops of the trees. The Jaffa were far behind them now as the speed of the ship brought them closer and closer to the Stargate.

They were no more than a mile from their destination when O'Neill felt the tell-tale power of the ship's engines give out, and he just barely had time to brace himself in his chair, hastily wishing the Goa'uld had been wise enough to include seatbelts and airbags on their ships, before the pull of gravity sent them crashing into the forest, slamming through the trees and leaving a wake of destruction behind them until they collided head-on with what had to be the thickest tree trunk in the entire forest. The ship buckled around them, sending them both flying forward at the sudden stop, their bodies slamming into the console.

Teal'c struggled to remain conscious, but O'Neill was out before his head even struck the floor.

-----

Daniel and Carter moved quickly through the forest, following the signs of their teammate's boot prints, both agreeing that it was in fact O'Neill that they were following. All evidence pointed to the fact that O'Neill had been carrying Teal'c across his back, and the implication of this realization was frightening. Teal'c had to have been severely injured, and was most probably unconscious. And there was no telling what carrying so much weight for this distance would have done to O'Neill, regardless of the man's age.

A little over half a mile from the 'Gate they found where O'Neill had fallen, and the imprints of two distinct bodies. "They must have rested here." Carter guessed.

Daniel frowned at the few blood drops he could see in the dirt, guessing it was Teal'c's. "I don't like this, Sam. This doesn't look good at all."

Before Carter could reply they were both startled by a distant sound that neither could really distinguish. After a moment, Carter's eyes widened in alarm. "It's a ship. Probably an Alkesh. It doesn't sound…"

Her words were cut off as they heard the unmistakable sounds of wood snapping, branches cracking, and metal screeching, followed by a resounding thud that rocked the ground beneath them.

Carter turned around confused. "That's odd. Our people didn't shoot it down, but it was headed for the 'Gate. Maybe it malfunctioned."

"Why do you not sound convinced?"

"Why would the Jaffa have flown a faulty ship into battle? I'm guessing it's not even half a mile from here, and it was headed for the 'Gate. We should check it out."

"Is that wise?" Daniel asked dubiously.

She looked at him, her expression carefully guarded. "That ship went down for a reason, Daniel. Either it was already damaged and lost control, or somebody forced it to crash."

Daniel's face lit up with the conclusion. "Jack and Teal'c."

She nodded. "The Colonel and Teal'c would have done anything in their power to prevent an attack on the rest of us. We won't have much time before the rest of the Jaffa reach the 'Gate and our back-up teams."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Daniel asked rhetorically as he jogged off in the direction of the downed spacecraft.

-----

Teal'c groaned as he shifted his weight, once again suffering from a severe bump and laceration to his forehead. He frowned at his shaking hand but decided to ignore the terrifying sensation in favor of checking on O'Neill's condition and getting him to safety.

His plan was easier thought than performed, he realized, as his limbs refused to work, his body and his symbiote complaining at the abuse they had endured within the past two days. He was not happy with his lack of coordination, it was embarrassing and could very well get them killed. With a supreme effort, in what he was sure Daniel Jackson and O'Neill would refer to as 'mind over matter,' he braced himself and rose to his feet gracelessly, staggering over to O'Neill's side.

He dropped to his knees beside O'Neill, reaching out with gentle hands to check his friend's condition, concerned by the amount of blood seeping from a cut on O'Neill's forehead that was similar to his own though bleeding more profusely, the blood running down his face and dripping from his chin to the deck. He couldn't tell if there were any other injuries, but the way O'Neill was sprawled on the floor it was possible he had twisted a knee, broken an arm, or further damaged his ribs. There was nothing he could do but try to stop the head wound from bleeding.

He tore off the remnants of his own shirt beneath his jacket and ripped off a single long strip, tying it around O'Neill's forehead, hoping that would staunch the bleeding well enough to get him back to Dr. Fraiser to work her magic. Then he steadied himself on his feet, waiting a moment to regain his equilibrium. He stumbled, nearly falling over and was unnerved by the loss of control. His symbiote should be taking better care of him, that was its purpose. This was most annoying having to deal with physical inadequacy.

O'Neill's chest injuries were too severe for Teal'c to carry him over his shoulder, so he bent down and wrapped his fist around the back of O'Neill's jacket, dragging him across the floor, hoping he was doing no further damage but needing to get his friend out of there and to the 'Gate as quickly as possible.

He managed to make his way to the rear hatch and pulled out his zat with his left hand, leaving O'Neill behind briefly to check that nobody was in the immediate vicinity. The enemy Jaffa were too far behind, he ought to have enough time to make it to the 'Gate before they arrived if he moved quickly enough, but his disorientation could be a problem. He could not conceivably drag O'Neill the entire distance, so with a little regret at the vulnerability he would be leaving them open to, he replaced the zat at his hip and grabbed O'Neill under the shoulders, hefting him up and cradling him against his chest with both arms, securing O'Neill's limp arm around his neck.

Warily, he stepped out of the ship and began his trek to the Stargate, hoping the SGC reinforcements were still there. It was a possibility that they would have learned of the approaching Jaffa and evacuated through the Stargate, judging the risk to be too high to wait and search for him and O'Neill. If that was the case, he and O'Neill had little chance of surviving this next battle.

TBC

* * *

Author's Note: I'm very sorry about the delay in continuing this story, and I won't bother you with the details other than to say it's difficult to feel inspired when you're typing with one hand. I promise I'll get the next part out sooner. A big thank you for all the wonderful reviews.

-Bixata


	9. Chapter 9

General Hammond stood alone in the briefing room, looking down through the window at the silent and stationary Stargate. This was one of the parts he hated most about his job, waiting for his teams to come in, not knowing what they were going through and unable to render any assistance while they were offworld. He particularly hated it when it happened to be SG-1 out there.

That team never seemed to catch a break, and yet, somehow, they always seemed to come through in the end, albeit not always without minor casualties. He had lost count of the times that Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson had been forced to stay in the infirmary due to injuries incurred in the line. Major Carter and Teal'c had their fair share of injuries as well, but the Colonel and Dr. Jackson just seemed to have a particular talent for coming to personal harm.

His primary concern at the moment was for Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c. Nobody knew what had happened to the two men once they were stranded on the planet occupied by the Jaffa of the dead System Lord Cronus. The search and rescue teams he had ordered to the planet had reported in to make sure that the naquada generator was supplying enough power to the 'Gate. Major Carter and Dr. Jackson had found footprints that they believed belonged to Teal'c, and had surmised that he was carrying Colonel O'Neill. This did not bode well for his second in command.

He knew it might take some time for his teams to return, and although it was well past midnight here on Earth, he knew he wouldn't be going home until every one of his people was accounted for.

It was going to be a very long night.

-----

Carter and Daniel jogged side by side in the direction of the downed Alkesh, putting themselves directly in line between the Stargate and the ship so they could intercept anyone trying to get to the Stargate. They didn't say anything, trying to stay quiet and listen to their surroundings in order to anticipate an ambush.

They weren't far from the crash site when Carter held up her hand for Daniel to slow down. They stopped and listened for a moment, standing as quietly as possible. They saw the movement before they could hear it, far off in the distance, an indistinguishable mass that looked too large to be humanoid.

Carter shoved Daniel off to the side of the barely distinguishable path, and they ducked down in the bushes behind a large tree. She peered over the bushes, making sure her green cap was concealing the bright blond of her hair, trying to make sense of the unusual creature as it grew closer. About two hundred meters away the creature slowed down, then stopped, as though it could sense her and Daniel.

Suddenly, the creature bent down to the ground, and she realized that what she had mistaken as a strange alien life form, was in fact two humanoids, one carrying the other.

Just like the Colonel must have been carrying Teal'c. Could it be them? She stood up a little bit higher to get a better look and could just barely distinguish the familiar green uniform and the flash of gold on the larger human's forehead.

"Is it them?" Daniel whispered, peering around the other side of the tree.

"Oh God!" she exclaimed as she realized why they had stopped.

"What?" Daniel asked as Carter darted out from their hiding place, running as fast as she could towards the two beings. He jumped up to follow her, pulling out his sidearm, unsure what was happening.

"It's the Colonel! Teal'c's giving him CPR!"

-----

Teal'c had been staggering through the forest for nearly five minutes when he felt a sudden change in O'Neill's condition. He stopped walking for a moment and focused on O'Neill, shifting his weight so he could listen to the Colonel's breathing.

O'Neill's lack of breathing.

He dropped to the ground immediately, laying O'Neill out on his back and pressing his ear up against O'Neill's chest to listen for a heartbeat as he placed his fingers against the artery at O'Neill's neck for a pulse.

Nothing.

Although he was no medic, he knew the basics of survival training, and he recalled what Dr. Fraiser had taught them to do if the heart stopped or someone wasn't breathing. He placed both hands on O'Neill's chest, one over the other in what he hoped was the correct position, and pushed down, pausing slightly between compressions, and careful of not pushing too hard.

He couldn't think about the fact that technically, O'Neill was dead. This was not a possibility he had ever foreseen. They had survived the initial crash, O'Neill should have been fine. He hadn't considered that moving O'Neill in his condition might lead to the man's death.

In the background of his mind he thought he heard Major Carter's voice, but he was concentrating on O'Neill, on the chest compressions, forcing the blood through the body. He finally looked up in time to see Major Carter and Daniel Jackson dropping to their knees beside him and O'Neill, then Major Carter was pressing her fingers against O'Neill's neck and leaning over him, placing her ear close to his mouth to listen for breathing.

"Work with me, Teal'c," she ordered, and as she placed her lips over O'Neill's to breathe life into him, he stopped the compressions, resuming when she pulled back. They worked together for over a minute, while Daniel kept watch over them, too horrified to move or look away.

Tears streamed down Major Carter's face but she refused to give up on her commanding officer. "Come on, sir. Don't give up now, we'll get you home. Colonel, don't you dare give up now." She covered his mouth with her own, forcing air into his lungs. "Come on, sir, please, breathe, dammit. Don't leave us now."

Teal'c swallowed hard, overwhelmed with the sense of impending loss, but he continued the chest compressions, wincing as he felt a rib crack under his ministration. "O'Neill, you must return to us, now." He ordered, because he could think of nothing else to do.

Daniel Jackson leaned in closer, his eyes wide with fear and emotional pain. "Come on, Jack" he whispered. "You can't die. We're here for you. We're taking you home. Wake up, buddy."

"Sir, please." Carter whispered one more time before breathing for him once more.

O'Neill suddenly jerked, his head leaning back, and his mouth opened to instinctively suck in a huge breath of air. Teal'c stopped the compressions, looking down at O'Neill's face in awe. Major Carter gasped, seemed to choke on something.

"Oh, God, Colonel, you're alive." The tears still rolled down her cheeks, and a couple drops splashed down on O'Neill's face.

"Jack." Daniel called out, his own eyes bright with excitement. "Sam, is he going to be okay?"

Major Carter didn't even hear him, she was focused only on the sliver of brown that was revealed as O'Neill's eyes slid open a mere fraction. "Colonel, can you hear me? You're going to be okay, we'll get you back to the SGC. We're taking you home."

"He cannot hear you, Major Carter." Teal'c informed her, but he couldn't explain to himself why he had spoken out loud to O'Neill earlier as they fought to restart his heart and return him back to life.

"He's alive, Teal'c. He can hear us. He just can't respond, yet."

Teal'c leaned back, allowing Major Carter to fuss over O'Neill, checking his vitals, reassuring herself that he was in fact alive. "O'Neill lost his hearing in the initial attack, though he believed it to be temporary." He closed his eyes briefly, allowing himself to calm down now that the immediate danger to O'Neill's health was over. His friend was alive, against all odds. It was extremely fortunate that Major Carter and Daniel Jackson had arrived when they did.

"He's deaf?" Daniel Jackson asked, looking down at O'Neill. "What happened to you guys?"

"We don't have time to discuss this, Daniel." Major Carter said gently as she ran her hand over O'Neill's forehead. "We need to get the Colonel back to the infirmary immediately."

"Are you sure we can move him?" Daniel asked, worried what further damage they might do.

"We have no choice." Teal'c informed him. "The Jaffa are headed for the Stargate to engage our people in battle. We appropriated an Alkesh, intending to arrive in time to warn you of the attack."

"We saw it crash." Major Carter explained. "We thought you may have been aboard. How long do you think we have before the Jaffa reach the 'Gate?"

"Perhaps twenty minutes."

"That doesn't leave us much time. His pulse is stronger now. Was he injured before the crash, Teal'c?"

"I believe he suffered several cracked ribs, at least."

"How about you?" Daniel asked. "Are you injured, Teal'c?"

"I will be fine. Daniel Jackson, we will carry O'Neill between us."

"We haven't got time to rig a stretcher." Major Carter agreed. "You need to be very careful with him, though. His heart stopped, if you move him too much it might be too great a shock for his heart to take."

Very slowly and carefully, Daniel and Teal'c lifted O'Neill off the ground, Teal'c supporting his upper body and Daniel supporting his legs. Together, they moved off towards the Stargate, Carter leading the way with her P-90 at hand, occasionally glancing back at the unconscious form of her commanding officer. Teal'c closely monitored O'Neill's pulse and breathing.

Once they established a steady pace, Carter called ahead to the others at the 'Gate, informing them that they had found Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c and would arrive at the 'Gate in approximately ten minutes. She also relayed Teal'c's warning that there was a small army of Jaffa headed for the Stargate.

Once they could see the Stargate through the trees, Major Carter ordered that the wormhole to Earth be established and the SGC informed that they needed immediate medical care. They picked up the pace slightly, sensing the imminent approach of the enemy Jaffa, and just as they reached the clearing and were ushered towards the 'Gate by the members of SG-2, 3 and 7, the first wave of Jaffa struck.

Daniel and Teal'c didn't slow down as the staff blasts erupted around them, intent only on carrying their teammate to safety and trusting that the remaining members of the Earth reinforcements would protect them. The wormhole was already established to Earth and the IDC codes sent. In the chaos of the attack they were the first to escape, followed closely by Carter and the remaining teams that were laying down cover fire.

By the time the last man was through Colonel Jack O'Neill was already on a gurney, being wheeled down the corridors towards the infirmary with Dr. Janet Fraiser running alongside him, monitoring his condition and shouting out orders to her staff.

The remaining members of the four SG teams sent to the planet lingered in the Gate Room as General Hammond hurried in through the door through which Colonel O'Neill had just disappeared. "Teal'c, it's good to have you back with us." He stated solemnly, seeing the concern in Teal'c's eyes for his commanding officer.

"Thank you, General Hammond. I am in need of kel'no'reem." He stated without preamble.

"Yes, of course. I'll need a full debriefing of what happened to you and Colonel O'Neill as soon as you're up to it. Get yourself to the infirmary."

Teal'c bowed his head slightly, and immediately headed off to the infirmary.

Carter gasped as she saw the hole in the back of Teal'c's jacket. "Oh God, Teal'c." She whispered, wishing she could follow him and make sure he got to the infirmary okay but knowing she needed to stay and debrief the General on what she knew.

General Hammond waved for two of the SFs that guarded the Gate Room to escort Teal'c, then he turned to Major Carter. "Major? What exactly happened out there?"

TBC

Author's Note: I'm a chemist, not a doctor. I apologize if I screwed up any of the medical procedures or jargon. -Bixata


	10. Chapter 10

Teal'c tried to relax into kel'no'reem but he was too distracted by his concern for O'Neill's condition. His own back wound had been examined, cleaned and bandaged and one of the nurses had thoughtfully retrieved a few candles from his room, as well as removing anything flammable or explosive like the oxygen tanks, but still, he couldn't concentrate on his own healing. He realized he wouldn't be able to achieve kel'no'reem until he was sure his friend would be alright.

They had arrived at the SGC over two hours ago but O'Neill was still in surgery according to the nurses. General Hammond had come to the infirmary for an unofficial debriefing and Teal'c had explained how O'Neill had received his injuries and how they had helped each other to survive while they waited for a rescue team.

He decided for the moment not to mention that by activating the Stargate and attempting to communicate with them, General Hammond had likely revealed to the Jaffa that there were still survivors on the planet. It was a serious tactical concern but there had been no viable alternative, given the lack of information with which the General was making his decisions. It was unfortunate that he and O'Neill hadn't been able to communicate via the radio when the SGC had attempted to contact them.

He glanced at the door anxiously as he heard footsteps approach but forced himself to relax when he realized it was just one of the nurses. He would have recognized Dr. Fraiser's distinct heel click.

He closed his eyes again, relieved when the battering pain in his skull receded a little. He could understand O'Neill's aversion to Dr. Fraiser's penlight, and it wasn't just from their experiences together during the time loop. A bright light in the eyes was not the most pleasurable sensation when dealing with a severe headache. He would have to apologize to O'Neill for the joke he had once made about O'Neill's childish responses to such trivial discomforts. Colonel O'Neill seemed to have an unreasonable aversion to needles and penlights.

He began to understand the aversion, now.

And he was beginning to develop a severe hatred of waiting.

He glanced at the candles sitting on the table beside his bed, and reached out for one with a shaky hand.

--

An hour later Daniel Jackson and Major Carter quietly entered the infirmary, expecting Teal'c to be in kel'no'reem. Instead, they found him sitting up in the bed staring ahead at the blank concrete walls. Two candles lay smashed and shattered on the floor by the far wall which they had obviously impacted with a great deal of force.

Daniel looked at the candles nervously, his arms wrapped around himself in a self-hug as he walked up to Teal'c's bed. "Can't sleep?"

Teal'c didn't bother to correct the other man's statement, since he didn't require sleep. He recognized the comment as an expression frequently used by O'Neill. "No," he replied simply.

"We haven't heard anything from Janet, yet, but Warner will do the best he can. I'm sure Jack will be fine."

Teal'c raised his chin slightly. "Indeed." He had no doubt of that. However, that didn't stop him from worrying.

Major Carter came up close to the bed and touched his arm gently, offering her support with the silent gesture. "How are you feeling, Teal'c?"

He considered telling her he was fine, as this was the customary response for any member of SG-1 whether they were fine or not, but decided against it. "I am concerned for O'Neill."

"Yeah," she agreed, casting her gaze down to the floor. "So am I. You said the Colonel lost his hearing," she prompted.

"I am unsure of the exact events as I was unconscious at the time. When I awoke I found myself lying across O'Neill's back. He had carried me from the Stargate but my weight was too great a strain for him. He fell and I landed atop him. When I tried to communicate with him he informed me he was unable to hear. He complained of a slight ringing in his ears. This was all before the ship crashed, and I have no knowledge what injuries he sustained after that."

"I can't believe he actually carried you." Her eyes were wide with awe. "I mean, don't get me wrong the Colonel's a strong man but…You're…"

"O'Neill was in great pain from his efforts," he admitted.

Daniel glanced at the candles on the floor again, the only evidence of Teal'c's anger at the situation. "So how did you steal the Goa'uld ship?"

Teal'c spent the next few minutes informing his teammates about what had transpired on the planet after they had escaped through the Stargate. As he was explaining O'Neill's discovery of the thin walls of their prison cell he abruptly stopped when he heard Dr. Fraiser's distinct footsteps coming from the hall. He sat up straighter and turned to face the door.

She looked exhausted but there was a small smile on her face that instantly reassured him that O'Neill would recover. "He's going to be fine," she announced without preamble, holding her clipboard up against her chest as she folded her arms around it. "He has a few cracked ribs, a fractured wrist and a severe concussion, but he should make a complete recovery in time. I wouldn't recommend he start running any marathons anytime soon, he's got a strong heart but it's been through quite an ordeal and I don't want him putting it under any stress for the time being. Actually, his entire body looks like it's been through the ringer, he's coiled tighter than a serpent spring."

Teal'c tilted his head at the unusual phrase, but chose not to comment or ask for clarification so she would continue her account of O'Neill's condition.

She looked straight at Teal'c. "In your report to General Hammond you said the Colonel lost his hearing from a grenade explosion, and unfortunately we won't know the extent of the damage until he wakes up. However, I'm confident it won't be a permanent condition, it seems to be just a pressure build-up in his inner ear and eventually it will take care of itself, one way or another."

He guessed that one way would be extremely painful. Knowing O'Neill's luck, it would be that way.

She cleared her throat. "The Colonel also has a sprained knee, and it's possible he may need surgery on it later but at this point his body's been under too much stress to even consider dealing with it now. Our tests were a little rushed, we didn't get a good look at the damage but given his history with his knee problems I'm surprised they've lasted this long."

Teal'c allowed a very small smile to grace his lips. "O'Neill surmised you would be most upset with him for the damage to his knee. He claimed it gave out on him while he was carrying me to safety. For this, I must apologize for my part in the injury."

She frowned and shook her head. "No Teal'c, it wasn't your…" She looked up at him suddenly, confused and shocked at first, then gradually amused. "You've been spending too much time with the Colonel, Teal'c. I swear, sometimes I'm not sure whether you're joking or one hundred percent in earnest."

He bowed his head, neither confirming that it was a joke nor denying it.

"Anyway, he's just coming out of surgery. You can see him for a few minutes but he won't wake up for several hours and he'll be heavily medicated so it's anyone's guess how lucid he'll be. He may decide to regale us with another recitation of Dorothy's speech to the Wizard of Oz."

Carter snickered, covering her mouth with her hand as she recalled the day of that recital after the Netu mission. General Hammond had turned an interesting shade of red when his Second-in-Command referred to him as Professor Marvel.

"When can we see him?" Teal'c asked.

"Give us a few minutes to get him settled. You have your own healing to do as well, Teal'c, but I know you all have to see him before you'll look after your own needs. I'll be back in a few minutes."

The three members of SG-1 sat quietly while they waited for Dr. Fraiser to allow them to see O'Neill. Teal'c finished his account of what happened on the planet up until the Alkesh crashed and the team was reunited in that heart-rending moment of fear when O'Neill's heart stopped.

Eventually Dr. Fraiser returned and Teal'c allowed Daniel Jackson to assist him to the recovery room where O'Neill was laid out on one of the beds, connected to various tubes and wires which thankfully didn't appear as frightening as they had seen following previous missions.

He accepted the only chair beside O'Neill's bed, his other two teammates standing just behind him. O'Neill's face was pale and still, but he was definitely alive. Teal'c could just see the telltale rise and fall of the other man's chest, and the clear monotonous beeps of the heart monitor were more reassuring than annoying.

"I will remain with O'Neill," he stated, and everybody in the room knew there was no way he was leaving, no matter what Dr. Fraiser told him.

"I'll have a nurse set up another bed for you," Daniel Jackson said quietly, and silently moved away to speak with the nearest nurse.

"He looks okay, right?" Major Carter asked nervously, her hands clenching at her sides as though preventing herself from reaching out to touch O'Neill.

Teal'c didn't answer. There was a bandage taped to O'Neill's forehead covering the gash he received during the crash, and a sheet pulled over his chest, concealing the bandages on his chest. Under the thin sheet he could see the outline of a temporary cast on his right knee. He did not look okay, as Major Carter hoped. However, he was alive and that was all that mattered at the moment. He would do everything in his power to ensure O'Neill made a complete recovery.

TBC

--

Author's Note: There will be one more chapter to wrap this story up. Thanks to all of you who stuck with me on this, I never intended for it to go on this long and I sincerely apologize you've had to wait so long for updates. A very heartfelt thanks to everyone who reviewed, you are the best!

-Bixata


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: This is the final part. Thanks to you all for reading and reviewing and sticking with me over the past couple months. I love the friendship between Jack and Teal'c and I plan to include it in more of my stories. I'm working on getting back to my other story Brothers of War dealing with their friendship at the start of the series, so if you like reading about these two warriors keep an eye out for it.

-Bixata

--

It was nearly twelve hours later when O'Neill first awoke. He felt like he'd been crushed by a Grand piano falling from the top floor of an apartment building, but that at least let him know he was alive. For a while there he wasn't sure he was going to make it.

His return to consciousness was not gradual. He felt a hand that wasn't Teal'c's grab his arm, albeit gently, and he instantly fought against it, shoving it away and snapping his eyes open despite the pain he knew would be associated with the sudden light. The movement, of course, aggravated the pain in his chest but if he and Teal'c were still in danger then he would have to deal with it.

As his eyes adjusted to the dimmed lights of the concrete room he immediately recognized the infirmary and settled back down, lifting his hand to wave apologetically at the nurse who had been checking his IV.

"O'Ne…"

That was odd. He could have sworn he heard something. Last thing he remembered was going down in the stolen ship with Teal'c and being thrown forward like a rag doll as they crashed into a giant tree. He had been deaf, though, he hadn't been able to hear anything…

"O'Neill."

Definitely Teal'c. He tilted his head slightly and right there beside his bed was Teal'c, looking alive and well and not at all like he had just been shot in the back and been tossed around a crashing space ship. He wasn't jealous at all. Nope. "Tlknmf," he attempted to greet his teammate.

He grinned when he could actually hear his muffled, gargled, and utterly indistinguishable greeting. Before his eyes closed sleepily of their own accord he caught a glimpse of the smile threatening to overrun Teal'c's stoic features. He cleared his throat and licked his lips then tried again. "Tl'c." Good enough.

"O'Neill. Can you hear me?"

It wasn't quite a hundred percent, there was still some ringing almost as though he had quite a bit of water in his ear. It was a vast improvement from the planet and, anyway, he just woke up and judging from the way his chest felt, from surgery, no less. He was entitled to a few minutes of disorientation and realignment of his senses. "Yeah. I hear you fine." His eyes widened in alarm for a moment as a wave of pain rolled over his body, from his head down to his toes, but it was quickly over and he focused on what was important. "Is everyone okay? What happened? Thought I saw Carter and Daniel on the planet. How'd we get back to the SGC?"

Teal'c patiently answered each of his questions despite the warning glances Fraiser was giving him. By the end of the explanation O'Neill was struggling to stay awake, but there was one more thing that needed to be taken care of. "Get some rest, Teal'c. I'll still be here when you get back."

Gladly following the spirit of the order, Teal'c retreated to his quarters and immediately achieved a state of kel'no'reem, a rare smile on his face.

--

Three days later O'Neill was released from the infirmary, under the provisional care of his teammates. They had spent the last few days tripping up the medical staff in the base infirmary as they attempted to entertain their bed-ridden leader through the long, boring hours of recovery. Fraiser had finally opted to throw them all out rather than work around them.

The whole team took O'Neill home and helped him to settle in. They would take turns staying with him overnight but tonight none of them were quite willing to leave him. Eventually they all opted to stay the night, Carter in the spare bedroom, Daniel on the couch, and Teal'c wherever he decided to set up his candles for a few hours of kel'no'reem.

He positioned himself just outside O'Neill's room, his back leaning against the door.

It was several hours before he heard movement within the room which alerted him to O'Neill's discomfort or pain. He knocked on the door but heard no response. He quietly opened the door and peered inside to check on his friend and was startled to see O'Neill out of bed, staring out the window into the darkness of the night.

"O'Neill?" he asked cautiously, stepping closer.

"Hey, Teal'c," he responded tiredly.

"Are you unwell?"

O'Neill shook his head, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "Nah, I'm fine. Just can't sleep."

"Are your injuries causing you discomfort?"

O'Neill glanced at him with an amused expression before turning back to the window. "Well, yeah, but that's not it. The pain's not so bad, I can sleep through a little discomfort. Spent so much time sleeping these past few days, I'm just not tired anymore. How's your back holding up? Junior treating you okay?"

Teal'c inclined his head forward, hiding his amusement at O'Neill's customary reference to the symbiote he carried. "The injury is healed. I am more concerned for your well-being than my own," he admitted.

O'Neill nodded his head crisply, accepting the truth in that without argument. They were alike in that respect, warriors, as close as brothers, always more concerned for those around them than themselves. "Daniel and Carter are afraid to let me out of their sight," he said with a hint of affection. "If they weren't so fun to have around when they're nervous I'd probably have kicked them out days ago."

Teal'c was silent for a moment before responding, "You would not."

O'Neill laughed sharply but cut it off just as abruptly before it could hurt his ribs. "Guess not. They need us as much as we need them."

"Indeed." He moved up and joined O'Neill, standing shoulder to shoulder and gazing out the window into the darkness. "What are we looking at?"

O'Neill smirked at him. "Nothing, really. I would have gone outside, but you were camped out at the door and I didn't want to disturb you."

"You wish to go outside?"

"Thought it'd be nice to look up at the stars. I don't really take the time to just look anymore."

"Then I will assist you. But first you must put on warm clothing. I do not wish to have Dr. Fraiser accuse me of being an accomplice to your disobedient plots."

O'Neill raised his eyebrows, unable to stop the grin on his face. "You mean wayward schemes, Teal'c? I would never ask you to face the wrath of ol' Doc Fraiser on my account."

"For that, I am grateful."

O'Neill smirked as he placed his hand on Teal'c's shoulder, guiding him toward the door. "So what did you have to promise her this time? Put me to bed by eight o'clock? Make sure I eat all my vegetables?"

"No."

"No?"

"I made a promise that I would not allow you to come to harm. I intend to keep that promise."

"Oh. Well, for the record, I don't have a problem helping you to keep that promise at all." They stepped through the door and walked down the hallway to the front door, stopping only to grab a jacket for O'Neill and a blanket in case he wanted it later.

They went out to the porch and settled down in the chairs, gazing up at the stars together. O'Neill was happy to be home, and was content just to sit back, relax, and revel in the pride he felt for his team. They sat there in silence for a long time, until O'Neill spoke softly. "We've got the best job in the galaxy, don't we?"

Teal'c glanced over at him and raised his right eyebrow.

"I mean, despite the mortal peril, the nearly fatal injuries, the hours and hours and hours of traipsing around ancient ruins and writing up mission reports, we really do have the greatest job there is."

Teal'c allowed the trace of a smile. "Indeed."

"Of course getting hurt's a real bummer. And dying is so overrated."

Teal'c tilted his head back, and authoritatively said, "I agree."

"But we've got our moments out there. We've got our moments."

Indeed, we do, Teal'c thought to himself. "And here as well."

O'Neill looked over at him for a long moment, before reaching out with his left hand and placing it on Teal'c's shoulder. He gave it a friendly squeeze, and left it there for a few seconds as he turned his head back up to the sky. "Yeah. Here too, buddy."

No matter what challenges were thrown their way, they would face them head on, together. The burden of their responsibilities was too great for any one person to carry, but between the two of them and the rest of SG-1, their backs would never break under the pressure. They had the strength of their friendship, their family, and their hearts to get them through anything.

That's why they would always win in the end.


End file.
